Monthly Archives: October 2011

Dr. Ahmad had offered up a scheduled induction on Friday, October 14 and with Jon working on the other side of the state and work becoming more and more of a challenge in the final days, it was a perfect recipe for our family.

So, we were set.

We were to be at the hospital at 5 a.m. on Friday. We would get admitted and set up, see the doctor on call and that doctor would confer with Dr. Ahmad to begin the induction.

I took a nap during the day on Thursday in anticipation of a night of light sleeping. I was going to be waking up at 4 a.m. to get out the door by 4:30 for our 5 a.m. appointment. Good thing I did, too. I managed to accidentally fall asleep for an hour during the night Thursday. But again, that was an accident. My mind was racing. With what, I couldn’t even tell you now. Wondering what the pain would be like, thinking perhaps I’d be the miracle pregnant gal who ends up thinking it’s no big thing and delivers quickly, easily and with no pain.

Ha.

So, anyway, I got up at 3:30 a.m., well got out of bed at least. I seriously had tried every trick in my repertoire to sleep…flip head to the feet end of the bed; sleep on the couch; watch TV; meditate; deep breathing exercises. It didn’t matter. My mind would not be silenced. So, I got up and did my hair and makeup (why not?). I poured myself a bowl of cereal and ate my Frosted Mini Wheats. I waited until it was time to wake Jon up.

And then, as I was getting ready to wake Jon up at the designated time (with ten minutes to go before walking out the door) I get a call from a local number I don’t recognize. And it’s 4:18 a.m. I’m leaving for the hospital in 12 minutes. It’s the hospital. They don’t have a bed/nurse for me, so can I wait and come in at 7 a.m. instead of 5 a.m.? After I ask why the two hours is going to make a difference, and the nurse patiently and kindly explains to me the situation, I go in and wake Jon up and tell him he can sleep for another couple hours. I, however, do not. I sit there wide-eyed, now wondering how my day will go. This feels like a bad way to get things rolling.

I had asked Jon if he planned on showering before we left. No, he assured me. He would be getting up and going. I asked if he had picked out the outfit he was going to wear to meet his daughter – no, why would he, he wondered. I gave up. So, I wake him up at 10 after 6 and we have 20 minutes before we need to be out the door. As he’s picking out what to wear he says “I don’t have time to take a shower, do I?”

Unbelievable, men.

Yes, I tell him, go for it, but hurry.

And he does.

He hastily chooses a yellow polo short and jeans for the day with a zip up hoodie.

I have the car packed. I have a bag of snacks, I have magazines and games to entertain us. I have clothes packed for myself, for the baby. I’m ready to go.

The car seat is in the car.

I’m in the car.

Jon’s in the car.

It’s pouring rain.

We drive to the hospital.

I’m apprehensive but relaxed; engaged but disconnected, unsure of what’s to come.

We go to admitting and we head up to the antepartum area of the hospital, where they do the inductions. It’s 7:30 a.m. by the time we get into our room.

The nurse, Kay, comes in to tell us that Dr. Ahmad was at the hospital at 7 waiting for us – well, not my fault that we weren’t there.

So, the doctor on call is to do an evaluation and then call Dr. Ahmad and determine what they’re going to do to begin the induction.

Kay tells me if they go with Cervadil, it’ll be 12 hours and then they’ll see what happens. If they go with the little tablet that I forget the name of, they’ll check me in four hours and see what’s happening.

We do paperwork, we sign papers, we talk to some random doctor who I never see again. We see Dr. Pyatt who is great. I get checked by the nurse and by Dr. Pyatt.

The nurse gives me this diagnosis:

You’re a fingertip dialated and 50% effaced, -3 station.

Ok, no big deal. But, that’s a long way to go to get to 10 cm, 100% effaced, +3 station.

So, after hours and hours (seriously, four hours) of waiting (which oddly went by far faster than one would imagine) Dr. Pyatt comes in and places the tablet…down there (can’t bring myself to be any more descriptive than that and I just don’t think it’s necessary).

So, now it’s a waiting game.

Kay has told us it will be an hour before anything happens. I’m hooked to a monitor that is spitting out lines showing contractions and the baby’s heart rate. Which is fine, except that I have to pee every 10 minutes (I wish I were kidding). Because the tablet is most effective if you don’t pee for an hour afterward, I had begun practicing holding my pee as long as possible the few hours before the tablet was placed…so I got to the hour mark and had not peed. It was a huge relief both to hold it that long and to finally pee after that long.

In the meantime, my brother randomly stopped by the hospital. Which was lovely, but at the same time I was annoyed because nothing was happening, because we’d had such a late start we were staring down an after-midnight delivery and I just was waiting and having Trevor there was just – I don’t know – I wasn’t ‘there’ in my head. So, he hung out for a minute or hour or something…and then he and Jon left after my Mom arrived around noon or so.

My Aunt Jill made an appearance with snacks and drinks, which was great, too.

The contractions were showing up on the monitor now, but I wasn’t feeling much.

After the four hours of the tablet working its magic had come and gone, I was evaluated by the nurse. She reported I was now dialated to about 3 1/2, 4 and she’d guess 70-80% effaced, but to stay on the safe side would say 50% and let the doctor say for sure.

So, I get out of bed and do three laps around the floor.

I come back and Dr. Ahmad is there to check in on me. He tells me that this exam will be the worst one of the day. He checks me, reports me to be 4 cm dialated and 80% effaced. Sweet.

And then, it starts.

In earnest.

Nurse Kay reports that the reason that the exam would be the worst of the day is because Dr. Ahmad stripped my membranes (would’ve been nice to know I suppose). And all of a sudden, the irregular contractions are regular and they are coming faster and faster.

Kay has hung a bag of pitocin, they are going to move me over to labor and delivery, and I’ll get the epidural as soon as I get over there. They don’t want the epidural now because I need to be able to walk.

We wait for a bed.

And wait.

And wait.

Two and a half hours later, the contractions raging, having kicked my Mom out of the room, spent some serious time on the toilet just holding on to the rails in the bathroom, asking for the TV to be turned off so it’s at least a little quiet. I’m having Jon push as hard as he can in one spot on my back and I’m pushing against it. It’s gotten bad. I’m grinning and bearing it, but I’m now at the point where it’s not fun or funny anymore. Not much to laugh about.

When Dr. Ahmad had come in earlier, he said he was upset about the fact that we sat in a room for four hours with nothing happening. When he heard that I’d waited two + hours to get a room, he was even more frustrated with the situation.

Kay asks Dr. Ahmad if I can have Stadol to relieve some of the pain. I didn’t want pain. I wanted this epidural an hour and a half ago…and now, well, I’m at 7 cm and just now getting the epidural and moving rooms…after getting the Stadol. That took the edge right off and the epidural numbed everything.

For the record, GO WITH THE EPIDURAL. Why you wouldn’t is beyond me. It hurts and why you voluntarily put yourself in that situation I don’t know. Take the epidural. Don’t be a hero…because those of us who had the epidural, we’re wondering what you crazy women going au naturel are trying to prove.

Anyway, that’s my opinion on THAT matter.

To make a long(ish) story shorter, here’s what happened in bullet format:

– Random doctor comes in to put the fetal monitors on the baby’s head. He misses and tries multiple times. He’s the intern or resident and isn’t supremely confident, which I don’t like. But, whatever.

– Shift change has happened, so I went from Kay to some other nurse who I saw for like 20 minutes to Sue, who was with me during delivery.

– My Mom is out of the room. It’s just Jon and I and I’m glad that’s how it ended up. It’s how I was most comfortable, come to find out.

– Jon and I turn out the lights and rest a bit in the room. The epidural is a godsend and I’m tired. I didn’t sleep the night before and who knows how long it’s going to be before this baby arrives.

– Dr. Ahmad comes in and says we’re going to try pushing (what?!). I was just sleeping…

…and, there’s a crying baby in my living room now demanding my attention, so this story will be continued…

I never intended to take a week-long hiatus from posting to my blog, just because I wanted to capture everything I could about her…but when it came right down to it, I was tired and sore and recovering and loving my baby was more important I guess. That, and every time I sat down to write something, inevitably she cried to be fed.

I’ll be catching up on reflections on labor, delivery, our first days at home and more over the next few days, but for now, meet Elle.

Baby Developments: She’s got to be on the verge of about eight pounds right now…she’s ready to enter the world and we are ready to meet her!

Weight Gain: Gained back those two pounds I’d lost, so total weight gain is at like 27 or 28 pounds for the entire pregnancy.

Cravings: Not cravings so much, but I’m still on the cereal, milk, Twizzler, Sprite Zero kick. I accidentally ate an entire box of Frosted Mini Wheats in one day last week and half a bag of Twizzlers. And it pained me, but felt good too. So, the fact that after a showing like that I’m still on board with Mini Wheats and Twizzlers, I feel ok about that.

Aversions: Nothing in particular.

Symptoms: I’m peeing about every 36 seconds or so. Molly and I went to dinner (she treated as a thank you for taking family pics of them earlier this week) and I went before we left her house, then as soon as we got to the bar (a mile from their house) and again when our food came. It’s ridiculous. Molly assures me that that symptom disappears immediately and is exchanged for not being able to tell when you have to pee at all…so, there’s something to look forward to!

I am loving: knowing that we’re meeting our Minnie girl TOMORROW (or pretty quickly thereafter) and that Jon will be there and that I’m going to maximize my time away from work with the baby being here. All good stuff.

Sleep: Jon insisted I sleep last night, which is a good thing since tonight I’m sure I won’t sleep well, with the anticipation, etc., and knowing that we have to be AT the hospital at 5 a.m. So, I did sleep well last night. In bed as soon as the Tigers lost (boo) and up at about 8 a.m. That was as good as I could do today.

I miss: having a beer. It sounded really good last night. Not like I’m a lush, but having the ability to have a drink if I so desire is something that I’m all about. No wonder prohibition never worked out right…as an aside, I’ve been watching Prohibition on PBS and it’s AWESOME. I love that whole era — which is part of the reason I love Boardwalk Empire, too.

I am spazzing about: a little bit about how to handle the visitors at the hospital. I don’t know what tomorrow will hold and I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but I don’t want a parade of visitors IMMEDIATELY after she’s born. I really want to make sure that Jon and I and Minnie get some time just the three of us to savor the moments. If I have a c-section for some reason, I don’t want anyone else seeing her/holding her before I get to (other than Jon, of course). I’m just really in need of this being about our newly-formed family of three and I feel like having people at the hospital waiting will add this pressure. I think I’m prepared to handle it, but…I just don’t get a do-over on this, so I really want it to be about the three of us.

Best moment of the week: My Mom and I’s full day of enjoying each other on Saturday and Monday, when Dr. Ahmad offered up the chance to be induced this week.

Milestones: The waddle. It’s here, fo’ sho’.

Movement: Moving still, but it’s less and less as she gets bigger and bigger. This means she is SO ready to come out and play!

It’s a….: GIRL!

Exercise: Not much here at the end. The peeing every 36 seconds makes it questionable at best to go too far from facilities.

Diet: Alright.

Boobs & Belly Button: Still have an innie, which is pretty sweet. Boobs have managed to stay the same size. I went to the Motherhood Maternity store and got nursing bras last weekend, so I have that done. Got some nursing tanks too. Hopefully all the right size for these boobs which will inevitably get big as the whole breastfeeding process begins.

Goals for the upcoming week: Deliver a healthy baby, make her happy and bring her home!

With just 40 hours remaining before I begin the process of becoming unpregnant, I thought I’d take a moment and reflect on BEING pregnant and share the thoughts I wished I’d known at the outset.

You know, for the rest of you people out there just starting this rather-cool journey.

MATERNITY CLOTHES

I have a new found appreciation for pants with buttons on them. While I found them constrictive in many ways pre-pregnancy, when I found out I’d ‘get’ to buy maternity clothes, I was pretty pumped about the elastic waist band phenomenon. Now, I’m looking forward to pants that do NOT have elastic waist band. The grass IS always greener, isn’t it?

Seriously, though, I wish I would not have gone ape-shit at the outset and worried about having ‘options’ in my wardrobe. If you have all kinds of money to spend on a maternity wardrobe that you may or may not wear, go for it. If you’re looking to be a BIT more frugal, buy what you need AS YOU NEED IT. I have a pair of cute pants that I bought early on, because they were on sale at Target, that I haven’t worn through this entire pregnancy. And I won’t now. They still have the tags on them. I bought a denim skirt that I thought I’d get a ton of use out of. Turned out that the way I carried this Minnie girl, I didn’t need the pregnant version – my denim skirt worked just fine.

Pants/Bottoms

If you’re pregnant over the course of the summer and you can get away with it, but a few pair of crop pants. White, gray were staples in my closet.

I will also say this about pants while pregnant. You may think that the full coverage tummy thing is cool when you’re not totally showing yet…but as your belly gets bigger I found that I felt pretty constricted by the full coverage thing. I ended up often pulling the coverage band down so it was like where a more-normal pair of pants would sit and it was more comfortable. However, it also meant that it might hang out and be seen when you sit down. It’s hard to find maternity shirts that will be long enough…

Jeans were something that I tried two different versions of. I got the full banded jeans from Motherhood Maternity and they’re ok. I also got a pair of the low-rise band from Target. And the Target pants are my favorite. I wish I could have these in real-person pants. I really enjoy wearing them and they’re the most comfortable pant I’ve found. And the wash is dark enough that I can wear them to be casual or to dress up an outfit. Perfect.

Tops

Target and Liz Lange were my go-to’s initially. The t-shirts (long and short sleeved) are great and budget friendly. Wasn’t as big a fan of the Liz Lange tank tops, however. But the t-shirts. Loved them.

That is, until I stumbled upon a Gap Maternity store in Indianapolis on a work trip. I shopped the clearance rack and got Gap t-shirts, maternity style, for cheaper than I could get the Liz Lange tees at Target. SCORE. And they hold up better though the wash and look like they cost more money. If I had it to do over again, I’d have started my shopping at Gap Maternity for its combination of buget-friendliness and cute styles and cuts of pants, shirts, skirts and dresses.

Sweaters/Sweatshirts/Cardigans

I didn’t end up needing to purchase anything that was a sweater – I was pregnant mostly when it was warm out…or at least that’s when my body was most showing that it was pregnant. I wore my zip up hoodies a lot. I wore a few zip up hoodies of Jon’s. I wore a few of those comfortable, classic wraps that are popular right now. For work, I didn’t need to be in a suit that often, but when I did, I just wore dress pants with a cute top from Target, fun jewelry and put on my regular suit jacket and just didn’t even attempt to button it. I mean, don’t you think people look terribly silly when they have a HUGE belly and try to button their jackets? Well, I did. So, I didn’t invest in any type of suit jacket for the pregnancy.

Bathing Suit

I bought one bathing suit from Sears, which was really cute and I got some use out of this summer at Jon’s parents’ pool and on the lake a few times. If you are going to be pregnant in the summer and don’t feel comfortable with your linea negra showing (that dark line on your belly) or if you just don’t want to show belly-skin anyway, invest in the preggo bathing suit. It was worth the $20 or so dollars I spent on it. If you’re only a ‘little’ pregnant (i.e., not totally showing) just go with your normal suit.

Work/Business Wear

Keep in mind that I travel for work, so I can get away with wearing the same clothes over and over again and no one is the wiser. However, I invested in two pair of nice work pants – one were from Motherhood Maternity but were clearanced “A Pea in the Pod” pants that I got for about $50 and the others were from Target. I actually preferred the Target pants at the end, though Iiked knowing I had something in my closet that was A Pea in the Pod. I got over the brand name thing pretty quick, though.

I found that wearing bigger, eye-appealing jewelry often got me compliments on it rather than on whatever top I was trying to make look cute on my growing frame.

Casual/At Home

I wore my work out/yoga pants a lot, with t-shirts from Gap and Target (the maternity kind) and sports bras. That’s sort of been my go-to outfit for the most part when I’m at home.

The Dainties

I don’t know why anyone would need to buy pregnant person underwear…but everyone carries differently, so you may find that it works for you. However, I just stocked up on comfy cotton undies from Target when they were on sale. I actually slept a lot in these undies and t-shirts…trust me, regardless of time of year, your hormones are going to go crazy and you’ll be HOT often.

I found purchasing a good-fitting bra was the most challenging part of outfitting my very-different body throughout pregnancy. It’s why I went with sports bras a lot. But, I did try to purchase a few bras here and there, but my boobs seemingly changed size on a daily basis. I was just reading a book that said it was worth it to go to Victoria’s Secret, get measured, and get their bras. And when you move on to needing nursing bras, to order them online. You may find, like I did, that people are going to tell you not to get nursing bras until your milk comes in. That could be very different times for each of us, and not being prepared for nursing seems like a poor trade off for bra purchases. Anyway, I just bought nursing bras this past week. We’ll see if the timing was proper for that. I still think that I’ll go and get measured at Victoria’s Secret and order a nursing bra from them online. I think having your boobs properly supported during this time, and feeling a little fancy under your clothes, is worth the extra dollars spent. At least, that’s my opinion.

The Stores

Target

Worth it to shop there as often as you can, see if they have anything new. Their clearance/sale rack changes often and you can often find a wardrobe staple discounted. I found that purchasing things here was the best bet I came across.

Motherhood Maternity (Outlets)

These stores are pretty damn overwhelming, I have to admit. There is a TON of stuff in there, and it all seems cute. I don’t know that it’s the BEST quality for what’s out there, but you can go there and find what you need if you’re looking for a specific outfit. They also have a wide selection of on-trend outfits, nursing bras, tanks and pj’s as well as some baby gear. They have all sorts of sales-y partnerships, so you’re going to get signed up for all sorts of coupons. It’s actually better if you go in each time and don’t give them your phone number to look you up – you end up getting more and more shutterfly free codes and other great coupons.

Gap Maternity

As I mentioned earlier, I wish I would have gone here first. This is the best store I came across for finding a good selection of the types of clothes I was looking for, that I could make work in a lot of different settings. I guess the main thing is that you want your maternity wardrobe choices to be versatile, so Gap is a good go-to. Start there, if you can. It’s worth the drive if you can find an actual store rather than shopping online.

Online vs. Store

Here’s how I feel about it: I love online shopping. Clothes are hard to shop for online, but if you go to any of the stores mentioned here or any others, you can try stuff on and then go online and see if you find anything you like better. I will say that if you can find a way to order through sites with free shipping, all the better. Or, wait for a Motherhood Maternity free shipping coupon code/search for one. Motherhood doesn’t always offer free shipping which is TOTALLY annoying. It makes it not worth it to order online.

Assess Your Fickle-ness about, well, everything…

I trust that I made a good choice in doctors at the outset and have let them guide me, not carte blanche, but for the most part through this pregnancy journey. I trust them. I like the office staff. If you feel like you’ll be more picky than that, definitely do your research. I like that I go to the same doctor as a friend of mine, and she had her baby about 4 months before I’m due, so she could sort of clue me in to what to expect and we could talk about how we felt about the different doctors in the practice and their personalities.

Molly’s doctors did a pelvic exam at EVERY appointment. My doctors only did a pelvic exam at eight weeks, 37 weeks and 39 weeks. I was comfortable with that. If you want updates every visit, ask that question.

Know that every question listed on thebump.com or other similar sites doesn’t need to be asked…only IF it’s important to you. I think that there’s a lot out there that feels to be in the business of scaring us all into some weird misogynistic submission about being pregnant. Remember, it’s natural to be pregnant and labor and deliver a baby. So, if you’re comfortable, don’t let someone else’s ideas or questions drive you crazy.

I stayed off the message boards of all those random sites and instead have sought out blogger Mom’s (which, if you like to blog, I highly suggest…and even if you don’t). The thing about the message boards is that you never know the person in any way behind the posts…with a blog, you can stalk them a bit more and get to know what’s important to them and then take their stance/opinion/insight with that in mind. I also find that there are, frankly, a lot of uninformed idiots trolling message boards who like to preach about what choice you SHOULD make regarding:

– Caffeine intake

– Eating lunch meat

– Exercise

– Travel

– Labor & Delivery choices

– Breastfeeding

Look, I don’t know why we all get preachy about a woman’s body and the ability to make decisions on the health of that body on our own, but then all of a sudden feel cowed into an opinion based on nameless, faceless people on websites. But, we do. I do it too. Know that it’s okay to feel like others are more strict with their choices…and just live with yours.

On the above topics…

Caffeine

I didn’t cut it out of my diet. I enjoy my Diet Coke each morning. I did cut out coffee for the most part – though if it sounded good, I’d have some. I didn’t notice a difference in baby’s activity if I did/did not have caffeine. When I spoke with the doctor about it early on, he said that there was more caffeine in all sorts of foods that they don’t tell you to stay away from, so…all things in moderation.

Deli Meat

This one I didn’t know you were supposed to stay away from, then I realized that some people recommend it because the chance of contracting listeria. Which led me to research listeria. There isn’t a greater chance of contracting listeria while pregnant…your chances are the same. It can be dire for the fetus if you get listeria and if it goes unchecked. However, the odds of you getting STRUCK BY LIGHTNING IN YOUR LIVING ROOM RIGHT NOW are greater than your chances of contracting listeria. Not kidding. I did the research. But, don’t eat foods from shady restaurants and don’t eat deli meat if it seems suspect. Just use good judgment.

Breastfeeding

There will be La Leche Leaguers who insist that breastfeeding is the only way. There will be girlfriends who bottle feed. There will be those who are conflicted. Some women will struggle with breastfeeding, will not produce enough milk, etc. The battle of breastfeeding has been going on for centuries (think wet nurses) so don’t let yourself get caught up in it. Do it. Don’t do it. Try it, or don’t. But, most importantly, make the decision that is BEST FOR YOU. There is no empirical data that says that breastfeeding is best. The research that is out there can NOT be empirical because it is unethical to do a proper study of breastfeeding (it would require women to be assigned to NOT breastfeed, which is the sticky point). I wasn’t going to do it. Now, I’m going to try it. And see how it goes. But, I’m doing what I want, because I want it. I hope you do, too.

Most importantly, know that your journey will be different than mine, but we all share together in the fact that we have this unique ability to grow another human, and do it in 10 months of our lives. It requires some sacrifice, though not much. It will be fun and funny and enlightening. But, make it YOURS and navigate it with the help of friends, family and this wide, wide blogging world.

I find my thoughts wandering to the state of the color change happening to the trees around me, reflect on my final days as Lindsay, when I’m no one’s Mom-with-a-capital-m.

I feel the spreading smile across my face, remembering Jon and I watching yesterday as a yellow and burgundy tree literally shed its leaves as we pulled out from our driveway.

I had noticed the wholesale emptying of the branches and was contemplating the why and the how of the beauty of Mother Nature, my day with Jon and our ability to share quality time with his parents ahead of our own becoming parents deadline.

And Jon commented, “Did that tree just decide RIGHT NOW to get rid of all its leaves?”

One minute, the tree was still in its color change and the next, it was changed.

And we served witness.

It was the sharing of the moment, the sun shining on us, that gave me pause. It was a fleeting moment when our minds and bodies were in the EXACT same moment.

And I thrive on that – and savor it – knowing that it’s the little moments, not the big ones, that are making up our life together.

Today’s appointment was both eventful and uneventful in that I went differently than I expected. This culminated in Dr. Ahmad asking if I wanted to go the induction route…and…well…Friday, 5 a.m., we will be checking into the hospital to begin the process of birthing our Minnie.

Yes, that’s right.

Friday.

At 5 a.m.

As the ultrasound revealed last week, we have a ‘healthy size’ baby (Dr. Ahmad’s words, not mine) and since it also revealed that TODAY is 39 weeks…well…

To be honest, I’m a little bit caught off guard. I thought that we would be discussing options today. And I suppose we did.

Option #1: Be induced this week.

Option #2: Wait for spontaneous labor.

I think that the word spontaneous makes it seem more exciting than it actually is.

Frankly, with Jon working on the other side of the state, three and a half hours away and with my normally cheery disposition suffering in the last week as I reach my ‘done’ point on the pregnancy spectrum, I’m just ready to get this show on the road, be un-pregnant AND meet our Minnie.

So, October 14 she should be here. Latest she’d arrive is October 15.

I’ve already talked to my boss, let her know my last day is Thursday so I’m busily wrapping up some tasks I was procrastinating for whatever reason.

Jon and I just installed the car seat base in my car (which he’s driving this week) and tomorrow I’m dropping his car off to be detailed and cleaned up and then will install the base in his car (which I’m driving for the week).

Jon will head back to work tonight about 6 p.m. and will come home Thursday night and we’ll head to the hospital in the middle of the morning on Friday to begin this process.

CRAZY.

SURREAL.

I’m going to be a MOM by the time Michigan-Michigan State kicks off this weekend.

~~~~~~~~~

I couldn’t sleep last night. That seems to happen when Jon’s home. Having company in bed, after most nights NOT having company in bed, is weird and I feel bad because it takes me EONS to get comfortable and fall asleep. And I move around and around…so I fell asleep on the couch and then headed to bed about 2 a.m.

But, well before that, I found myself feeling…well, scared, honestly…about the impending arrival. I don’t know another word to describe it, and I really want to capture my TRUE feelings here. It’s scary. This is a forever gig – and one I’ve been waiting my whole life for and I just am scared about the unknown.

I can’t put my finger on whether I’m scared of the laboring more than the actual – ‘we’re sending you home with a baby’ – part. But, intimidated by the idea. The thought of how it’s all going to come together, the lack of control over the situation on the whole. All well beyond my comfort zone and things I’d like to control a bit more.

~~~~~~~~~~

Dr. Ahmad did a pelvic exam today. I’m a half centimeter dilated…which I think is really just him being generous. I mean, what is a half centimeter anyway??

Anyway, he referenced my Bishop Score, which I hadn’t heard of before. Here’s a wikipedia link to more info. Based on what I’ve read just now, my Bishop Score of 5 is sort of a number that is right in the middle of being a good one for induction. Every site I checked out had a different threshold for making it an induction option. So, I’m trusting my doctor on this one. Feel like I haven’t been steered wrong yet. We’ll see.

I did just place a call to the office to ask the questions that have now popped into my head. I think I just want to know what to expect will happen when I arrive to the hospital on Friday. Again, from the reading I’ve done, it seems like doctors recommend induction when they feel as though your chances for vaginal delivery still exist, but going into spontaneous labor (as measured by your Bishop score, among other things) isn’t something that ranks really high on the list. So, we’ll see. I’m hoping to get some more insight from Dr. Ahmad or his nurse when they call back.

Baby’s heart rate is good…my weight gain, not so much. I had eaten breakfast before heading to the doctor, but that put me at 27 pounds gained total…which is SO ANNOYING. Hate being over that 25 pound threshold. But, whatever. We are nearing the end of the being-pregnant weight gain journey.

Well, this is my first time ever posting a “Day in the Life” as challenged by a fellow blogger over at Navigating the Mothership. I’m actually a day beyond the challenge, but I really wanted to capture a day in my life RIGHT BEFORE BABY arrives, so I’m hoping my capturing yesterday (Saturday) will work out alright.

4:07 a.m.: Here’s what I stared down, crawling back into bed after using the bathroom for the THIRD time since midnight. Seriously, this baby girl better be coming soon, I can’t handle the all night bathroom runs.

You can see my iPad laying next to me. No TV in the bedroom, so I take the iPad to bed with me while Jon’s out of town so I have something noisy to help me drift off to sleep.

6:37 a.m.: Decide that reading the facebook updates, NYTimes headlines and CNN headlines and trying to figure out what’s going on with Occupy Wall Street stuff is better left to do when wider awake. Play a few games of Sudoku on the iPad. I’ve now been up for two and a half hours and am not tired. Awesome.

8:36 a.m.: Wake up without an alarm and check the time. Check the photo I just took and realize I need new bedside lamps in our room and I need another bedside table for ‘my’ side of the bed. Start a list of things to shop for on the day.

I decide that shopping can wait as I’m enjoying my laziness and know my days are numbered when this laying in bed reading is a luxury I can afford…so I read “Mother Shock: Loving Every (Other) Minute of It” which was referred to me by a co-worker on Friday and I downloaded to the Kindle for iPad app. I’m really enjoying the read so far. I switch back and forth between that book and “When Did I Get Like This?” referred on another blog I was reading (sorry, can’t remember which clever fellow blogger recommended that one…I’ll do better remembering and keeping track next time!).

10:07: Decide my eyes are tired from reading, remember that I’ve been meaning to delete some photos off the iPad for awhile and set to figuring out how to do that to free up some space for other stuff (pics of my uber-cute baby girl who should arrive any day now!!).

My Mom calls and wants to know if I want to errand shop with her and I tell her that I have my list made for the day, and I don’t want to be gone all day long. Neither does she. My Dad is out golfing (did I mention they only live nine houses down the golf course from us?) and my brother is odds-on still sleeping after a late night at the fraternity fundraiser thing (I think). She says she’ll pick me up at about 11 a.m. Time for me to mosey on out of bed.

10:25: Head for the kitchen to make breakfast while the shower warms up (yes, I’m wasting water, but whatev’s). Grab for the Raisin Bran but think better of adding any more fiber into my body as I ate AN ENTIRE BOX of Frosted Mini Wheats over the course of the day Friday. So, I opt for Cinnamon Toast Crunch and pour on the milk.

10:30: Shower time and get ready for the day. I change outfits a few times looking for the most flattering option. HA.

10:56: Walk by the office and realize I REALLY need to clean it before Jon gets home Sunday. Add that to the list of things to accomplish.

10:57: Final picture before heading out. Feel like I”m having a good hair day after getting my hair cut earlier this week. Still haven’t washed it since the color/cut (the woman who cut my hair recommended not washing it as much as possible…awesome, that’s a low-maintenance new mom hairstyle if ever I heard one!)

Take one side view of the preggo belly, technically at about 39ish weeks.

Notice the shower door in the background – this is why “The Works” is on my shopping list. Have to do something about the soap scum that has existed there for far too long. Don’t judge me and my cleanliness nor the blue countertops in our master bath. If you really love them, you’d especially love the shit-brown carpet.

See the red hangy thing from L.L. Bean on the towel rack on the right of the photo? That’s my ‘go bag’ for when I head to the hospital. Packed and ready to go, you see.

11:15 a.m.: Mom comes over and carries my laundry basket upstairs and I finish folding laundry and moving it through the ‘system’. We head out in my Dad’s truck (it’s going to be a quick shopping day, remember, but I am shopping for a nightstand).

My Mom – she says ‘you’re not going to take my picture all day long, are you?’ as I explain to her I’m cataloging a day in my life. I assure her I won’t take pictures of ONLY her. In fact, this may be the only one I got.

We decide to head to Value City Furniture first.

11:40 a.m.: We waltz through the furniture store and we decide to walk up and down every aisle (again, it’s going to be a quick shopping day). I find the dining room table and sideboard that I LOVE. It’s sort of an updated old fashioned.I didn’t know if it was against the VC Furniture rules to take photos, so I didn’t get a great picture…but still. I have this for my memory.

11:45 a.m.: Run into Shirley, Andrea’s Mom, in one of the aisle’s with one of her friends. They are shopping for new chairs for Shirley’s friend (whose name escapes me at the moment). But, we chat for a minute about how I’m so close to having the baby, etc. We part ways and continue up and down the aisles. In the mean time I text Andrea to let her know we ran into her Mom and to let her know that I sent her the photos I took of them.

Ends up they didn’t come through to her email because they were too big, so I posted them on my blog Sunday instead. We text back and forth for a minute about what we’re doing, etc. Nothing too interesting.

Shirley mentions as we’re talking that they had just come from Lovegood’s furniture down the road in Fenton, so my Mom says ‘oooh, we should go there to look for your nightstand’.

12:00 p.m.: Leave the furniture store and head down the road to Fenton. As we’re on our way we decide to have lunch at a favorite spot, The French Laundry. It’s a ambiance-heavy spot in downtown Fenton.

12:10 p.m.: Mention to my Mom that “The Weed Lady” is on the left hand side. She mentions she’s never been to that store, so we pull in. While overpriced, it’s a cool little place with awesome landscaping. I take a picture.

The water feature here is just awesome and since we have a pond that will require some TLC next summer, we debate if this would work – or something like it – in the backyard pond.

Did I mention that it’s a GORGEOUS day and is about 80 degrees in mid-Michigan? It is. Crazy for October.

12:25: Hit up Lovegood’s. Definitely a good place to remember to come back to. Find a few pieces that I think would look great in my house so I snap a few pictures for inspiration.

I don’t know if this green color is going to be popular or is on its way out of popularity, but I really liked it in this setting with the white cottage-y table and shelving, with the blue/gray walls and the cool white/navy chair. The mirror even tickled my fancy. So, I think this is pretty inspirational.

Notice how in the green dining room chairs that they have the cut out so you can sweep your feet back under them? That whole set is just really well thought out. Place into memory bank that I need $1900 for that set if that’s what I want. Ugh. Why can’t everything be Ikea-cheap but not all as modern as Ikea?

Have to use the bathroom for the who knows how many-ith time. I ask the woman at the ice cream counter (yes, there’s an ice cream counter in this furniture store…don’t ask me!) if she point me toward the bathroom. You’ve all seen how my belly sticks out. She looks me up and down and says “I don’t know if we’re supposed to let anyone use it today.”

I was annoyed but tried not to let it show. Her fellow co-worker looked confused and just pointed me back toward the back of the store. Was it because I wasn’t wearing a wedding ring in this uber-Christian store (they also sell bibles and have bible verses on the windows of their store). I guess I should have taken a few pictures here, because I’m making it sound weird-trashy but it’s really not. It was just bizarre.

1:10 p.m.: Head to The French Laundry and put our names on the list. They tell us it will be 20-25 minutes, so my Mom and I decide we are going to head down to the Iron Grate for some quick shopping. I’m on timing-duty so we’re back within the 20-25 minute window. We find some cute things and my Mom picks up a gift and I pick up a card for a friend, Katie, who just had her second baby girl. The Iron Grate is super cool and as we’re checking out to make it back within the 20 minute window, the sales clerk mentions the upstairs. I didn’t KNOW there was an upstairs in the Iron Grate! So, we decide we’ll come back AFTER lunch.

1:30 p.m.: We have missed our calling at The Laundry and I have to get a little stern with the hostess. She says they’ll get us a table. I feel like people aren’t being sympathetic enough to my pregnant state. I feel weirdly PMS-ey for some reason.

1:37 p.m.: We get seated! Yeah!

Oh yeah, I changed my clothes from the pictures I took in the mirror after my shower.

2:07 p.m.: We are STARVING. Our food still has not come. And while not known for its quickness (it’s food is home made, not like Applebee’s or Chilis style) this has now gotten excessive. We finally get our food and I dig in before taking a picture. But, I did manage to get a picture…

Grilled pita with tzatziki and hummus, grilled chicken breast, tomato, cucumber and red onion with a pickle on the side. It was DELICIOUS. My new favorite.

Here’s my Mom’s sandwich. Looks like a kitchen-sink style sandwich, but I assure you it was also delicious (or so she said).

As we sit at lunch, I get a text from my Aunt Jill wondering if I’m having the baby.

No.

2:40 p.m.: We are done with lunch and need to do some final shopping wrap up at Iron Grate and Mimi and Lola’s in Fenton. In the meantime, I had texted my Aunt Lori to see if she wanted to join us for lunch. She said that she was actually working over at their house and if we would, to stop by. So, we make a plan that we’ll head there after lunch (and some additional shopping).

In the meantime, my Mom treated me to lunch but let me get the Supper Club points on my French Laundry rewards card. Annnnndddd….I managed to get my first reward…I reached 250 points, which means I got a $10 gift card! How freaking awesome. I took a picture just because.

Find a SUPER cute trinket gift for a friend at Mimi & Lola’s as well as a cute hat/prop for our Minnie girl.

Find some more cute stuff at the Iron Grate, but I was getting shopped out at this point and needed a break. It was cool stuff they had in the upstairs, but I was ready to go.

3:15 p.m.: On our way to Aunt Lori’s. It’s 4 miles from where we’re shopping, so we go there. It’s a house that they bought and have completely gutted and re-done. My Grandma is there too and my Uncle Kim is just enjoying a beer as they sit on the deck overlooking the water.

This is the view from their new deck (composite). They live right near the entrance to the lake from this canal/channel thing. My cousin Matt, their son who is two years younger than me, lives next door. He just got engaged to Meaghan on Tuesday (yeah!) but they were both out of town, so didn’t get to see the ring up close and personal. It was a beautiful day and I’m really glad that we got the chance to spend some more time with my Aunt Lori before her stem cell transplant begins. It was slated to start this past Friday, but due to a cold that came on Tuesday morning, it is pushed back to this Friday when she’ll begin the arduous process. So, anyway, I was glad to spend some quality time with her.

5:30 p.m.: We finally hit the road to Babies R Us, where I have remembered the gift cards to make some final purchases and feel better prepared. The closer I get the more I worry I don’t have all the things I”ll need for our Minnie girl. I need to stop shopping. But, get the stroller attachment for our City Elite stroller, some receiving blankets that I decided I needed, and the extra parts for the breast pump.

In the meantime, I have also stopped at JoAnn Fabrics and get Buy one, get one 1/2 off on yarns that I needed and get 60% off a frame I needed. So, that was a good deal.

6:38 p.m.: Talk to Jon as I’m checking out of Babies R Us. He is back to the hotel for the night.

7 p.m.: My Mom wants to make sure we drop off her donations to the Salvation Army TODAY. So, we swing through and make the drop off.

At this point, I’m tired, but the man helping my Mom is very friendly. I don’t get out of the truck because, frankly, I’m nine months pregnant and don’t feel like hauling the bags and bags of stuff out of the back of the truck.

We are now heading toward home after our VERY QUICK shopping spree (remember, this started out as a quick shopping adventure that morphed into…well, a full day of out on the town).

7:40 p.m.: I’m home again, home again, jiggity jog. Thank GOD! I’m ready to turn on the TV, sit on the couch and crochet with my new yarn and watch a little Detroit Tigers action in the ALCS.

Light a candle (something fig from Pottery Barn, it smells SO good).

7:50 p.m.: Realize I’m hungry for some sort of snack. So, I make myself a yogurt parfait with vanilla yogurt, strawberries and granola. I love the Bear Naked maple pecan granola.

Wish a little bit that Jon was home so I wasn’t home alone. Again. Tonight. But, look forward to him coming home Sunday night!!! Even if it is only for one night/20 hours. I’m just ready for him to be here.

8:31 p.m.: My back is throbbing, so I pop the thing that makes it not do that anymore into the microwave and sit down to watch a little TV again.

Someone once told me to put a cup of water in with it, so I do. I don’t know if that’s even right or not…but…I do it anyway.

9:50 p.m.: Take a picture of myself crocheting with my new stuff. I end up staying up for another hour before I head to bed with the iPad as company again.

Not a wholly eventful day, but just another example of how the best laid plans result in a day of lovely shopping with your Mom and visiting with your family.